Automatic work-adjusting c clamp



Filed Sept. 27, 1945 a ,4. ,4. Wasi/ewski.

Patcnted May 7, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC woax anmsrmo c ouuur Anthony A. Wasilewski, Essex, Md. Application September 21, 1943, Serial No. 503,964

1 claim. (or. 144-304) This invention relates to the type of clamps known as clampsrand especially to such as have one or both Jaws rotatably mounted, for instance, as in Patent No. 291,248, but is an improvement thereon in the respect presently explained.

One object of this invention is to provide a clamp that automatically operates to adjust the work-materials in adefinite and exact relation to one another, in contradistinction to those clamps whose laws are mounted to be swung in other than a single plane oi rotation, as islthe case where their mountings are other than cylindrical or conical. Therefore. I choose to name this invention an Automatic work-adjusting c clamp.

In carrying this object into practice, I not only mount both jaws oncyllndrical pivots, but I also provide plane jaw-seats on which the respective jaws are seated in proper relation to restrain them respectively from moving in any direction other than a single rotary movement around the respective cylindrical pivots or journals; and I also form the work-engaging face of each jaw with grooves that intersect one another at right angles and whose walls are in planes disposed at very obtuse angles to one another, viz., to the respective opposite surfaces, and which walls combine to form four work-engaging ridges that converge towards the pivot and are oblique to the axial line of the pivots and of the screw that moves one jaw towards the other.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, in which, similar reference numerals refer to similar parts in the drawing and specification, the invention is now described as follows:

Fig. l is a view mainly in side elevation, but

partly in section along the'line l--l of Fig. 2, in

connection with two units of work-materia1 concentered and clamped between the Jaws.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view or face view of the work-engaging surface of the lower jaw shown in Fig. 1.

The C-shaped frame or body 3 has therein a screw-threaded opening 4 and has thereon a plane surface 5 as a seat for one of the laws 6, this seat having a cylindrical opening 'I that serves as a bearing for a pivot 8 with which the of the screw 9, and the latter has a plane surface I! that cooperates with the pivot II to restrain this law II from moving in any direction other than a true rotary motion around its cylindrical pivot l l.

In the previously briefly described work-engaging face of each jaw, as shown in Fla. 2, the four work-engaging ridges are seen at the meeting edges of the walls l3, viz., at the respective lines II that cross one another at right angles at the axial line that is common to the pivots 8 and II; and though these lines appear straight across in Fig. 2, there are vactually four of such lines, or two pairs thereof, the lines of eachpair being at opposite sides of the line i'-i and not only converging radially to the axis of the pivot 8, but also converging from the tops of the wall It, at the periphery of theJaw. to the bottoms of these walls (at II) and to the axial line of the pivots] and I l in other words, these ridge-crests II are oblique to the axial line of the pivots 8 and H, and they extend substantially from periphery to center of the jaw; but the ridge-crests Ha terminate at an opening I! in which the riveted end of the pivot H prevents displacement of the jaw III.

,In Fig. l. a ball is seen at B. and a ring or length of tubing is seen at A, and as each of these have convex surfaces seated on or against the convergent ridge-crests of the respective laws In and 8, they have not only been automatically centered with respect to these laws and the axial line thereof, but are also restrained from becoming displaced in any direction because they have portions that are effectually surroundedby the ridge-crests I4 and a respectively; and being thus secured against displacement, they can be soldered or welded to one another without any danger of displacement during such operation; and the same would be true of two lengths of rod or tubing to be soldered, brazed or welded or otherwise secured together, whether in parallel relation or in crossed relation at any desired angle to one another; and in adjusting them to the desired angle, either or both of the rotary jaws can be turned with the material engaged.

therewith while the centralized relation is unjaw-seat I is provided for cooperation in restraining the jaw i from moving in any direction other than a true'rotary direction. A hand-screw Q has its thread operatively engaged with the internally threaded opening 4 so it is movable toward and from the seat 5 and jaw 6 and carries therewith a jaw Iii which is rotatable on a pivot It disturbed.

.Because of the very obtuse angle between opposite pairs of the ridge-crests II. and because of the extent of these ridges substantially from periphery to center, these jaws contact the tubing with onl lane surfaces and at points widely spaced from the bottom or lowest point, in contradistinction to laws which have narrow acute- It is not intended to limit this invention or its,

patent protection to the exact details herein described 0r herewith illustrated, for the invention is susceptible of numerous changes within the inventive ideas as implied and claimed.

I claim the following as my invention:

A O-clamp that comprises an integrally formed c-shaped frame having a screw-threaded opening and a cylindrical pivot-bearing in axial alinement with one another, a hand-screw operatively seated in said screw-threaded opening and being provided with a substantially circular jaw having its axis allned with the axis of said handscrew and being Divotally engaged with the handscrew, and a second substantially circular jaw provided with a pivot that is rotatably seated in said pivot-bearing of said frame in axial alinement with the axis of said hand-screw each one of said jaw having a work-engaging face that comprises at least three ridge-crests that converge substantially from its periphery to it central portion, whereby these iaws are cooperatively related for automatically concentering two arcuate-suriaced bodies when operated to clamp said two bodies against one another when they are between these laws, substantially as specified and shown.

' ANTHONY A. WASILEWSICI. 

